MLS playoffs almost too close for comfort

Three of the four MLS playoff games this weekend were decided by one-goal margins, and only a New York collapse in stoppage time gifting Houston a late equalizer prevented that from being the case across the board.

The scores were indicative of the almost negligible margin of difference between the elite teams in MLS. Just eight points separated the top nine teams this season.

Scorelines such as those don’t apparently allow for studied introspection and nuanced analysis to listen to the almost dismissive reaction of Galaxy coach Bruce Arena after Sunday’s 1-0 win over Real Salt Lake in the opener of the Western Conference Semifinal two-game series.

“They went with 11 players just as we anticipated,” Arena deadpanned as he scoffed at the media attention paid to Real Salt Lake’s unusual formation. “Everyone makes too much of formations. It’s 11 against 11.”

And, of course, the return game in Utah on Thursday (6 p.m. on ESPN2) will be “difficult” as will all the playoff games given the narrow margins separating them, Arena concluded matter-of-factly.

Um, quite.

Still, on a certain level at this time of the year with games involving familiar opponents what more is there to say?

Games like this generally are decided by a terrible mistake, which no one wants to see or a stunning moment of brilliance, which everyone does.

Sunday’s game provided the latter, with a Sean Franklin laser beam he admitted was his best goal ever and one that almost singed the back of the net.

“We lost on a shot that’s really one in 100,” Real Salt Lake midfielder Kyle Beckerman said in succinctly summing up the delicately balanced series heading into the return leg.

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Slumbering Keane

Keane was as nonchalant as his coach when asked about his uncharacteristically off night Sunday.

The Irishman had just four shots, with only one on target.

“It is what it is, we had a few chances, we didn’t score,” Keane said. “It’s the playoffs. Anything can happen.”

So the confidence of the scorer of 16 goals this year is shattered, huh?

“I’ve had many nights like this where you don’t hit the target,” the English Premier League veteran said. “I’m certainly not going to lose any sleep over it.”

Keane scored nine goals in his last 10 MLS games in a year that saw him become the first Galaxy player to score more than 15 MLS goals in consecutive seasons.

Also ...

The MLS conference semifinals resume Wednesday with Red Bull New York-Houston Dynamo (5 p.m. Univision Deportes) and Sporting Kansas City-New England Revolution (no TV). ... Former Galaxy coach Sigi Schmid and his Seattle Sounders must overcome a one-goal deficit when they play the Timbers in Portland Thursday (live at 8 p.m. on NBCSN). The winner of the series faces either the Galaxy or Real Salt Lake in the conference final. ... Torrance’s Anika Rodriguez made her second consecutive start for the U.S. U-17 women’s national team in a 7-1 demolition of Guatemala at the U-17 championships. The U.S. already has qualified for the semifinals with one group game to spare. ... The UCLA women won the Pac-12 title Sunday for the first time in five years.